In the field of electrical connectors, frequently it is desired to interconnect a grouping of electrical contacts by means of removable connector devices. Thus, for example, it is known to make electrical connectors for use in military electronics applications wherein a round bundle of cables is terminated in a terminal having a number of electrical contacts arrayed in a configuration corresponding to that of an associated connector terminal member to which the cable terminal is to be removably affixed. In this fashion, one or the other of the terminal members may contain male electrical connectors for insertion into corresponding female connector members in the other of the connector terminal members. Thus the two members comprising the connector may be brought together, their respective electrical contact members interengaged, and they may then be held together by appropriate associated mechanical means. One known method of effecting such mechanical interconnection is by means of an outer ring-like collar positioned about the outside of one of the connector terminal members, which collar is rotatable with respect to its associated connector member. The inside of the collar may have an internal helical groove into which pins integral with the outside of the other of the connector terminal members may be positioned. Thereafter, upon the collar being rotated, the helical grooves migrating along the pins will cause the two connector terminal members to be brought together into intimate and selectively permanent juxtaposition.
In the past it has been found that among such connectors, those which exhibit the greatest ability to resist being torn apart are ones made completely from metal. However the difficulties experienced in manufacturing such structures made entirely from metal, as well as their cost, weight and physical characteristics (e.g. tendency towards corroding and/or fusing to each other), has presented some problems for which alternatives have been sought utilizing other constituent materials. Thus, for example, it has been proposed to make such connectors entirely from plastic material. However it has been found that such all-plastic connectors exhibit relatively poor resistance to being broken apart upon the pin-helical groove portion of the structure being subjected to substantial forces. Alternative measures which have been sought to circumvent this drawback include making the groove-pin portions of metal and the rest of the connector from plastic or other suitable material, but such structures have not proven to exhibit as high resistance to breaking apart as desired, since such resistance then becomes dependent primarily upon the integrity of the bond between the metal and the plastic. Alternative remedies which have been sought include merely embedding metal pins in plastic and/or backing them with backing plates to prevent their tearing out when torque stresses are placed upon the connections.
Accordingly an object of the present invention is to provide means whereby circular electrical connectors may be made relatively easily and inexpensively and preferably in large part from plastic materials, which will exhibit satisfactory resistance to breaking apart through the application of torque forces.